Age resisters for polymers

ABSTRACT

ALKYLTHIO SUBSTITUTED POLYNUCLEAR PHENOLIC AGE REGISTERS AND AGE RESISTANT POLYMERS CONTAINING SAID AGE RESISTERS.

United States Patent 3,565,857 AGE RESIST ERS FOR POLYMERS Ronald B. Spacht, Hudson, Ohio, assignor to The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio No Drawing. Filed Aug. 31, 1967, Ser. No. 664,601 Int. Cl. C08f 45/58 US. Cl. 260-4595 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Alkylthio substituted polynuclear phenolic age resisters and age resistant polymers containing said age resisters.

This invention relates to age resisters for oxidizable organic materials, their preparation and use in the stabilization of polymers which normally tend to deteriorate when exposed to normal atmospheric conditions and in particular when exposed to sunlight and/ or elevated temperatures in the presence of air or oxygen.

Polymers have proven to be some of the most difficult organic materials to successfully stabilize against deleterious effects of oxygen and ozone, particularly rubbery polymers, both natural and synthetic. Both vulcanized and unvulcanized polymers are susceptible to the deleterious effects that are found in normal atmospheric conditions, and although many materials have been suggested and used as polymer stabilizers no completely satisfactory material has been found that will fully protect these polymers under the widely different conditions to which they are subjected. The search for new and better polymer stabilizers is therefore a problem which continues to command the attention of many skilled investigators.

Phenolic compounds have been among the more commonly used compounds that have found wide scale acceptance as polymer stabilizers. But many of the phenolic antioxidants, although reasonably effective stabilizers for organic materials, tend to impart discoloration and staining to the materials they are intended to stabilize. An additional problem that is not successfully solved 3,565,857 Patented Feb. 23, 1971 by many of the previously known phenolic stabilizers is that they are in varying degrees too readily volatilized, and therefore escape from the materials which they are intended to stabilize during the rather extended service life to. which such materials are subjected.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new class of phenolic antioxidants which can be used as stabilizers for organic compounds and which stabilizers are relatively nondiscoloring and nonvolatile in polymers In accordance with the present invention it has been found that the foregoing and additional objectives can be accomplished by employing as stabilizers for polymeric materials which are subject to the deleterious effects of oxygen, ozone and sunlight, phenolic compounds conforming to the following structural formula:

wherein R, R and R are hydrocarbon radicals containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and R and R are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl radicals containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl radicals containing from 5 to 9 carbon atoms and aralkyl radicals containing from 7 to 9 carbon atoms, and R and R are bivalent radicals selected from the group consisting of bivalent organic radicals and bivalent inorganic radicals and wherein n is a positive integar from 0 to 3.

' Preferably R, R and R are alkyl radicals containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms.

When n equals 2 or 3 the antioxidant molecule will contain two or three R radicals as well as two or three R radicals. In such cases the R radicals need not necessarily be identical, nor must the R radicals necessarily be identical. Examples of specific compounds that conform to the above recited structural formula are represented below by a listing of special radicals, any combination of which in the structural Formula I above represents a specific compound within the scope of the present invention.

The alkyl groupings may be primary, secondary or tertiary.

Preferred compounds of the present invention are those which conform to the above structural Formula I wherein R and R are tertiary alkyl radicals containing from 4 to 12 carbon atoms.

4 R are selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, propyl and isopropyl radicals, R and R are tertiary alkyl radicals containing from 4 to 8 carbon atoms and located ortho to the phenolic hydroxyl groups and R and R are selected from the group consisting of -S,

5 *CH2 Specific examples of these preferred compounds are represented below by a listing of specific radicals any & combination of which in structural Formula I above QH C,H, CHPCHPCHPC/ represent a specific compound within the scope of the H present invention.

R3 and R6 R, R1 and R2 R4 and R5 n Tertiary butyl CH3- --CI-IZ 0 Tertiary amyl -S 1 Tertiary hexyl -SS 2 CH3 Tertiary heptyl C4H9- CI-IOH\ 3 Tertiary oetyl C5H11 Tertiary nonyl O0H1Q CH CH2CHzClI\ Tertiary dodecyl- CBH11- -OHz-CH=CHOH2- Even more preferred compounds are those wherein R and R are tertiary alkyl radicals containing from 4 to 12 carbon" atoms and are located ortho to the phenolic hydroxyl group and wherein R and R are bivalent radicals selected from the group consisting of (A) -S, (B) -S--S-; and (C) an organic radical containing from 1 to 14 carbon atoms.

Specific examples of these more preferred compounds are represented below by a listing of specific radicals any combination of which in structural Formula I above represent a specific compound within the scope of the present invention wherein R and R are in the ortho position.

and n is a positive integer from 0 to l.

Specific examples of the most preferred compounds are as follows:

R and R R, R and R R and R Tertiary butyL CH3- 0 H2- 0 Tertiary amyl. C2H5 1 Tertiary hexyl O3H SS Tertiary heptyl C4H (DH-CH C Ha Tertiary ootyl b ll- CHa-CHzCHz-CH Tertiary nonyl. CoH1a -CH2CH=CHCH2 Tertiary dodecyl CsHn- C12H25- -CH2 The most preferred compounds are those which con- 2,2-butylidene bis(4-ethylthio-6-tertiarybutyl phenol) form to above structural Formula I wherein R, R and 2,2-thio bis (4-methylthio phenol) 2,2-thio bis(4-methylthio-6-tertiarybutyl phenol) 2,2'-dicyclopentadienyl bis(4-methylthio phenol) 2,2-dicyclopentadienyl bis(4-methylthio-6-tertiarybutyl phenol) 6,6'-methylene bis(3-methylthio phenol) 4,4-methylene bis(3-methylthio phenol) 2,2-methylene bis(3-methylthio phenol) 4,4'-methylene bis(3-methylthio-6-tertiarybutyl phenol) 2,2'-methylene bis(3-methylthio-6-tertiarybutyl phenol) Particularly preferred are 4,4'-methylene bis(3methylthio-6-tertiarybutyl phenol) and 2,2'-methylene bis(4 methylthio-6-tertiarybutyl phenol).

The compounds of this invention may be prepared by a one step or a two step method. The one step method comprises reacting a mixture comprising (A) at least one phenolic reactant and (B) at least one condensation reactant. The phenolic reactant conforms to the following structural formula:

wherein R is a hydrocarbon radical containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms and R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl radicals containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl radicals containing from to 9 carbon atoms and aralkyl radicals containing from 7 to 9 carbon atoms. Preferably R is an alkyl radical containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms.

Examples of specific compounds that conform to the above recited structural formula are shown below.

3-methylthio phenol 4-methylthio phenol 2-methylthio phenol 4-ethylthio phenol 3-propylthio phenol 4-octylthio phenol 2-tertiarybutyl-4-methylthio phenol 3-propylthio-6-tertiaryoctyl phenol 3-methylthio-5-methyl phenol 2-ethyl-4-ethylthio phenol Preferred phenolic reactants for the one step method are those according to structural 'Formula II wherein R is selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, propyl and isopropyl radicals and wherein R is a tertiary alkyl radical containing from 4 to 8 carbon atoms and located ortho to the phenolic hydroxyl group.

Examples of these preferred phenolic reactants are as follows: 2-tertiarybutyl4-methylthio phenol 3-methylthio'6-tertiaryamyl phenol 3-propylthio-6-tertiaryoctyl phenol 2-tertiaryheptyl4-ethylthio phenol The most preferred phenolic reactant in the one step method is Z-tertiarybutyl-4-methylthio phenol.

The condensation reactant is a material selected from the group consisting of aldehydes; ketones; sulfur monochloride; sulfur dichloride; dihalo alkenes containing from 4 to carbon atoms; di(halomethyl) diphenyl oxides; a,a'-dihalo xylenes and dicyclopentadienes.

Examples of aldehydes which may be used in the practice of the present invention are as follows:

formaldehyde acetaldehyde propionaldehyde butyraldehyde isobutyraldehyde paraldehyde paraformaldehyde valeraldehyde Examples of ketones which may be used as condensation reactants are as follows:

acetone methyl ethyl ketone methyl isobutyl ketone methyl isoamyl ketone diethyl ketone methyl propyl ketone Examples of dihalo alkenes which may be used are:

1,4-dichlorobutene-2 Z-methyl-1,4-dichlorobutene-2 2,3-dimethyl-1,4-dichlorobutene-2 1,4-dichlorohexene-2 Examples of di(halomethyl) diphenyl oxides are:

4,4'-di(chloromethyl)-diphenyl oxide 4,2'-di(chloromethyl) -diphenyl oxide 2,4-di(chloromethyl) -diphenyl oxide Examples of dicyclopentadienes are:

methyl cyclopentadiene dimer cyclopentadiene dimer Some of the compounds of the present invention can be prepared by a two step method. The two step method comprises reacting in the first step a mixture comprising (A) at least one phenolic reactant and (B) at least one condensation reactant and subsequently in the second step reacting the product of the first step with at least one compound selected from the group consisting of olefins containing from 2 to 12 carbon atoms, cycloolefins containing from 5 to 9 carbon atoms and arylalkenes containing from 7 to 9 carbon atoms.

An active halogen compound in some instances can also be used in the second step of the two step method. For example, a compound such as benzyl chloride can be reacted with the product of the first step, normally in the presence of Friedel-Crafts type catalysts to provide an aralkyl substituent.

In the two step method the phenolic reactant conforms to the following structural formula:

(III) wherein R is a hydrocarbon radical containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms. Preferably R is an alkyl radical containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms.

Specific examples of materials conforming to the above recited structural formula are as follows:

Z-methylthio phenol 3-methylthio phenol 4-methylthio phenol 3-ethylthio phenol 4-isopropylthio phenol 2-n-butylthio phenol 3-isoamylthio phenol 4-hexylthio phenol 3-octylthio phenol 4dodecylthio phenol Preferred phenolic reactants for the two step method are those conforming to structural Formula III wherein R is selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, propyl and isopropyl radicals.

Examples of these preferred phenolic reactants are as follows:

Z-methylthio phenol 3-methylthio phenol 4-methylthio phenol 3-ethylthio phenol 4-isopropylthio phenol 4-propylthio phenol 2-ethylthio phenol 4-ethylthio phenol The most preferred phenolic reactants in the two step method are 3-methylthio phenol and 4-methylthio phenol.

The condensation reactant in the two step method is of the same type used in the one step method.

Representative examples of the olefin type materials that can be used in the second step of the two step method are:

l-propene l-butene l-pentene 2-pentene 2-methyl-1-propene 2-methyl-1-butene 2-methyl-2-butene Z-methyl-l-pentene 2-methyl-2-pentene 3-methyl-2-pentene 2-methyl-1-hexene 2-methyl-2-hexene 3-methyl-2-hexene 3-methyl-3-hexene 2,4,4-trimethyl-l-pentene a-methylstyrene vinyl toluene cyclohexene styrene methyl cyclohexene methyl cyclopentene The most preferred olefins are tertiary olefins possessing 4 to 12 carbon atoms such as some of those listed above.

The one step method and the first step of the two step method are carried out in essentially the same manner. The reactions for the one step method and the first step of the two step method will vary with the condensation agent. With aldehydes and ketones an acidic catalyst is preferred and the condensation can be carried out by gentle heating. For best results a low boiling solvent capable of azeotropically removing the water as formed is desirable although not necessary. With the active dihalogen compounds such as 1,4 dichloro-butene-2; 4,4- di(chloromethyl) diphenyl oxide and a,ot'-dichloro xylenes heat may be necessary alongwith small amounts of a Friedel-Crafts catalyst. This will depend upon the activity of the dihalo compound. Satisfactory reactions with diolefins as dicyclopentadiene are obtained with BF Alkylation, particularly tertiary alkylation, in positions ortho to the hydroxyl groups provides a superior product. Tertiary alkyl groups having 4 to 12 carbon atoms, and therefore tertiary olefins containing from 4 to 12 carbon atoms, are preferred. Such alkylated products may be prepared by the one stage or two stage methods. In the one stage method an alkylated, alkylthio phenol is reacted with the condensation reactant. In the two stage method an alkylthio phenol is reacted with the condensation reactant. The resulting product is isolated, dissolved in a suitable solvent, and alkylated with an olefin using a Friedel-Crafts type catalyst, such as toluene sulfonic acid, anhydrous aluminum chloride, anhydrous ferric chloride and sulfuric acid.

Temperatures used for the second step of the two step method are from 20 to 150 C. In general, reactions involving halides will be at higher temperatures than those 8 involving alkylation with olefins. Preferred temperatures for reactions involving elimination of hydrogen halide are from 100 to 150 C. Preferred temperatures for alkylation reactions are from 60 to 100 C.

The charge ratios of the reactants is normally from 1.5 mols of phenolic compound/mol of condensation agent to 5 mols of the phenolic compound/ one mole of condensation agent. In the one step method it is preferred to use a solvent and slightly more than one mol of the condensation agent with every two mols of the phenol when the phenol possesses another substituent in addition to the alkylthio substituent. In the two step method and in the one step method where the phenolic reactant does not contain another substituent in addition to the alkylthio grouping it is preferred to use no solvent in the reaction between the phenolic reactant and the condensation reactant. In addition, a preferred ratio of the phenolic reactant to the condensation reactant is 5 mols of the former to one mol of the latter. Among the suitable inert solvents which may be used in the condensation and alkylation reactions are benzene, toluene, xylene, hexane, cyclohexane, carbon tetrachloride and chloroform.

In the two step method the amount of olefin used should be about one to about two mols of olefin per one mol of the product of the first step.

Being more specific concerning the condensation reactions, where aldehydes or ketones are the condensation reactants it is preferred that the condensation reaction be run in the temperature range of about 1 .5 to 150 C., preferably at the reflux temperature of the solvent used. Acid catalysts can be used in such condensation reactions.

Where the condensation agent is sulfur monochloride or sulfur dichloride the reaction temperature can be approximately 25 to 150 C., preferably between 25 and C. No catalyst is necessary for this condensation reaction.

Where dihalo xylenes are used the reaction temperature can be to 175 C., preferably to C. and the reaction can be catalyzed with a Friedel-Crafts catalyst.

The dihalo alkenes can be reacted at a temperature of 50 to 150 C., preferably at 80 to 120 C., in the presence of a Friedel-Crafts catalyst.

The di(halomethyl) diphenyl oxides can be reacted with the phenolic reactants in a temperature range of 25 to 175 C., preferably 50 to 100 C. The reaction will take place without the presence of a catalyst. However, it is preferred to use a small amount of Friedel-Crafts catalyst, for example, 0.2 to 5.0 parts for 100 parts of thioalkyl phenol.

The dicyclopentadienes can be reacted from 50 to 150 C., preferably from 75 to 100 C. in the presence of a Friedel-Crafts catalyst. Boron trifluoride is a preferred catalyst.

The following Examples 1 through 9 showing the preparation of compounds conforming to the present invention are intended to be illustrative of the class of compounds disclosed and the method of their preparation but are not to be interpreted as limitations of the invention.

EXAMPLE 1 One hundred and fifty-four grams of 4-(methylthio) m-cresol were dissolved in 200 milliliters of hexane. Two milliliters of concentrated hydrochloric acid were then added. This mixture was heated to 60 C. and 50 grams of Formalin (37.5% formaldehyde) were added in 0.5 hour. The mixture was then heated under reflux using a water trap. All of the water was removed in three hours. Finally the mixture was heated to pot temperature of C. at 3 millimeters of mercury to remove unreacted materials. The yield was 173.0 grams of product.

EXAMPLE 2 Two hundred milliliters of toluene and 8.0 grams of concentrated sulfuric acid were added to the product from Example 1. The mixture was heated to 100 C. Isobutylene was then added over a period of four hours. The catalyst was then neutralized with aqueous sodium carbonate. The aqueous layer was decanted from the mixture and the remainder of the mixture heated to 150 C. to remove any volatiles.

EXAMPLE 3 One hundred and forty grams of para-(methylthio) phenol and 200 milliliters of hexane were warmed to 50 C. Four milliliters of concentrated hydrochloric acid were then added. Fifty grams of Formalin (37.5 formaldehyde) were added over a period of four hours. The mixture was then heated under reflux using a water trap to remove the water. The reaction was completed in 7 hours. The solvent was then removed. The Weight of the reaction product was 148 grams.

EXAMPLE 4 The process of Example 3 was repeated. The product was dissolved in 200 milliliters of toluene and 16 grams of toluene sulfonic acid added to the mixture. It was heated to 100 C. and isobutylene added over a period of several hours. The mixture was then neutralized with aqueous sodium carbonate and digested. The aqueous layer was then decanted. The mixture was heated to 150 C. at 20 millimeters of mercury to remove the volatiles. The weight of the reaction product was 160 grams.

EXAMPLE 5 One hundred and fifty grams of 4-(methylthio)-metacresol and 200 milliliters of toluene were heated together to 70 C. One hundred and thirty-four grams of a commercial di(chloromethyl) diphenyloxide (CMDPO-25) were added to the mixture over a period of 1.5 hours. Heating was continued for several hours. The mixture was then heated to 150 C. at 20 millimeters of mercury to remove the solvent and any unreacted materials. The weight of the reaction product was 250 grams.

EXAMPLE 6 One hundred and fifty grams of product from Example 5 were dissolved in toluene. Twelve grams of toluene sulfonic acid were then added. The mixture was heated to 100 C. and isobutylene added slowly during a period of 3.5 hours. The mixture was washed with water and the Water decanted from the mixture. The mixture was neutralized with aqueous sodium carbonate and digested. The water was then decanted. The mixture was heated to 150 C. at 28 millimeters of mercury to remove any volatiles. The weight of product was 177 grams.

EXAMPLE 7 One hundred and forty grams of para-(methylthio) phenol were reacted with 134 grams of di(chloromethyl) diphenyloxide in the manner described in Example 5. The yield was 239.0 grams of product.

EXAMPLE 8 One hundred and thirty-nine grams of product from Example 7 were butylated in the manner described in Example 7. The yield was 158 grams.

The compounds of this invention are useful in protecting polymer in any form, e.g., polymer in latex form, unvulcanized polymer and vulcanized polymer. The method of addition of the antioxidant to the polymer is not critical. They may be added by any of the conventional means such as by adding to a polymer latex, milling on an open mill or by internal mixing. They are highly efiicient and are capableof being employed in relatively small amounts to effectively stabilize the polymers into which they are incorporated. Normally 0.001 to 5.0 percent of the antioxidant by weight based on the weight of the polymer can be used, although the precise amount of these highly effective stabilizers which is to be employed will depend somewhat on the nature of the polymer and the severity of the deteriorating conditions to which the polymer is to be exposed. In unsaturated polymers such as those made from conjugated dienes, the amount of antioxidant necessary is greater than that required by a saturated polymer such as polyethylene. It has been found that an effective antioxidant of the disclosed stabilizers in rubbery polymers will generally range from 0.05 to 5.0 percent by weight based on the weight of the polymer although it is commonly preferred to use from 0.5 to 2.0 percent by weight based on the weight of the polymer.

The polymers that may be conveniently protected by the phenolic compounds in accordance with this invention are vulcanized and unvulcanized oxidizable rubber and those synthetic oxidizable polymers which are normally susceptible to deterioration by sunlight and atmospheric oxygen such as prepared from conjugated dienes as well as the synthetic polymers and copolymers prepared from monoolefins. Representative examples of the synthetic polymers used in the practice of this invention are polychloroprene; homopolymers of a conjugated 1,3- diene such as isoprene and butadiene and in particular, polyisoprenes and polybutadienes having essentially all of their segmeric units combined in a cis-1,4 structure; copolymers of a conjugated 1,3 diene such as isoprene and butadiene with up to 50 percent by weight of the polymer of at least one copolymerizable monomer such as styrene and acrylonitrile; butyl rubber, which is a polymerization product of a major proportion of a monoolefin and a minor proportion of a multiolefin such as butadiene or isoprene; and polymers and copolymers of monoolefins containing little or no unsaturation, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene propylene copolymers and terpolymers of ethylene, propylene and a nonconjugated diene.

The practice of this invention is found particularly beneficial when applied to the stabilization of homopolymers of a conjugated 1,3-diene such as isoprene and butadiene and copolymers of said diene with up to 50 percent by weight of at least one copolymerizable monomer such as styrene and acrylonitrile. The practice of this invention is found most beneficial when applied to the stabilization of copolymers of butadiene and styrene.

The stabilizers of this invention can be added to polymers by any of the conventional procedures, that is, directly to the polymer by milling or internal mixing, a latex or solution form of the polymer, etc.

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the compounds of this invention as stabilizers for polymers representative compounds of this invention were incorporated into an oxidizable polymer.

EXAMPLE 9 The products produced in the previous examples were evaluated in SBR 1006 (a hot emulsion polymerized butadiene/styrene rubber) by oxygen adsorption at C. (Experiments D through K). Also evaluated was an unstabilized SBR 1006 (Experiment A) and two SBR 1006 samples stabilized with two phenolic antioxidants not within the practice of the present invention (Experiments B and C). One part of antioxidant was used in each experiment. The data are summarized below in Table I. The oxygen absorption tests were condurted by dissolving in benzene portions of an SBR polymer (1006) containing 1.00 part per 100 parts of rubbery polymer of various antioxidant compositions of this invention. The cements so formed were poured onto aluminum foil so as to form a thin film. After drying the weight of rubber was obtained in connection with each sample. Thereafter the foil with the adhering rubber strip was placed in the oxygen absorption apparatus. The time required for each sample to absorb 1.0 percent oxygen was determined and recorded in the following table. This testing procedure is described in further detail in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 43, p. 456 (1951) and Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 45, P- 392 (1953).

Reaction product.

- Di(chlorome1thy1) diphenyloxide.

These results demonstrate the superior activity of the compounds of the present invention (Experiments D through K) as stabilizers for SBR. In all but one of the experiments butylation enhanced the resistance to oxygen absorption under these particular test conditions.

The followiii'gj lixample is illustrative of the practice of the present invention in polypropylene but is not intended to so limit the invention.

EXAM PL-E 10 Polypropylene (Pro-Fax 6501) was stabilized with 0.10 part of seven different stabilizers within the scope of the present invention (Experiments N through T). Another portion of the polypropylene was stabilized with 0.10 part of 2,6-ditertiary-butyl-p-cresol. The yield tensiles and melt indices of these stabilized samples were compared with those of an unstabilized polpropylene control (Experiment L).

The polypropylene samples can be prepared in the following manner. The stabilizer can be dissolved in acetone or hexane in a concentration of 1 to 5 percent. The stabilizer solution can then be added to the polypropylene (Pro-Fax 6501) by dispersing the stabilizer solutions in the powdered polypropylene using a Henschel blender and agitating at 2800 r.p.m. After minutes the typical batch temperature will normally approach 180 F. and a reasonable dispersion of the stabilizers will be obtained. After 10 minutes only traces of the solvent will normally remain.

The stabilized polypropylene was injection molded to produce tensile bars, said tensile bars conforming to ASTM-D-638-64 T. The tensile bars were aged at 140 C. in a forced air oven. The stress-strain properties of the original and aged samples were measured by an Instron. A 4 /2 inch jaw was used, the jaw separation rate being 1 inch per minute.

Melt index determinations were made on the aged and unaged tensile bars which had been cut up into small pieces. The melt index test was run according to ASTM- Dl238-62 T, Condition L. As the polymer degrades the molecular weight is reduced by chain scission. The melt index indicates the molecular weight reduction and is expressed as grams of polymer extruded per unit time. As the molecular Weight decreases due to degradation the melt index increases. The test results appear in Table II.

TABLE II Yield tensile (p.s.i.) Melt index 1 Antioxidant Unaged Aged 2 Unaged Aged 2 5, 470 3, 300 3. 68 Failed M 2, fi-ditertiary- 5, 520 5, 010 2. 71 8.

butyl-pcresol. N Example 2 5, 540 5, 010 2. 63 3. 27 Example 3 5, 460 5, 010 1. 88 3. 12 Example 4 5, 490 4, 060 2. 54 3. 09 ple 5- 5, 420 4, 960 2. 55 3. 63 ple 6, 5, 420 4, 980 2. 87 3. 33 pie 7.. I 5,540 5,000 2. 51 3. 70 T Example 8 5, 510 5, 010 2. 68 3. 47

1 Expressed as grams of polymer extruded per 10 minutes.

2 One day at 140 C.

The above results reveal the stabilization afforded polypropylene by the compounds of the present invention. Whereas the yield tensile of the unstabilized polypropylene (Experiment L) dropped appreciably on aging, the yield tensile of the polypropylene stabilized with the compounds of the present invention (Experiments N-T) dropped only slightly. Whereas the melt index of the unstabilized polypropylene rose on aging to such a value that it was considered to have failed, the melt index of the polypropylene stabilized with the compounds of the present invention rose only slightly on aging.

In addition, a comparison of the polypropylene stabilized with the compounds of the present invention with polypropylene stabilized With a commercial phenolic antioxidant Experiment M) reveals that on aging the melt index of the latter material rose much more than the melt indices of the former materials.

While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A polymer selected from the group consisting of vulcanized and unvulcanized polymers selected from the group consisting of polychloroprene, homopolymers of a conjugated 1,3-diene; copolymers of a conjugated 1,3- diene with up to 50 percent by weight of the polymer of at least one copolymerizable monomer; butyl rubber, polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene propylene copolymers and terpolymers of ethylene, propylene and a nonconjugated diene and containing an antitoxidant amount of an antioxidant composition conforming to the following structural formula:

OH OH OH I I I R I R L P a a ll ll s s s I R R n R;

and

and wherein n is a positive integer from 0 to 3.

2. The polymer according to claim 1 wherein the homopolymers of a conjugated 1,3-diene are polyisoprene and polybutadiene and wherein the copolymers of a conjugated 1,3-diene with up to 50 percent by weight of the polymer of at least one copolymerizable monomer are copolymers of 1,3-isoprene or 1,3-butadiene with styrene or acrylonitrile.

3. The polymer according to claim 1 wherein R and R are tertiary alkyl radicals containing 4 to 12 carbon atoms.

4. The polymer according to claim 3 wherein R and R are located ortho to the phenolic hydroxyl group.

5. The polymer according to claim 1 wherein R, R and R are alkyl radicals containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms.

6. The polymer according to claim 1 wherein R, R and R are selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, propyl and isopropyl radicals, and R and R are tertiary alkyl radicals containing 4 to 8 carbon atoms and located ortho to the phenolic hydroxyl group.

7. The polymer according to claim 1 wherein R and R are CH 8. The polymer according to claim 1 wherein R, R and R are selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, propyl and isopropyl radicals, R and R are tertiary alkyl radicals containing 4 to 8 carbon atoms and located ortho to the phenolic hydroxyl group and R and R are 9. The polymer according to claim 1 wherein the antioxidant composition is selected from the group consisting of 2,2'-methylene bis (4-methylthio phenol), 2,2'-methylene bis(4-methylthio-6-tertiarybutyl phenol), 6,6'-methylene bis(3 -methylthi0 phenol), 4,4-methylene bis(3 15 meylthio phenol), 2,2'-methylene bis(3-methylthio phenol), 4,4-methylene bis(3-methylthio-6-tertiary butyl phenol), and 2,2-methylene bis(3-methylthio-6-tertiary butyl phenol).

10. The polymer according to claim 1 wherein n is 0.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1937 Miller 260609F 2/1968 Abbot et al. 260609F 5/ 1968 Reifschneider 260609 10/1968 Brown et al. 2604595 2/1969 Campbell 260609 7/ 1969 Bannister. 10/ 1969 Hecker et a1 26045.95

FOREIGN PATENTS 6/1949 Great Britain 2604595 HOSEA E. TAYLOR, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

